Moderators,
First, let me join in extending my warm congratulations to Bob and Jerry in getting this thing up and running so quickly. Let me also thank Jackie in allowing us to find a new home here. You good folks grabbed the rock and ran with it, while many of us ran around spewing fire and venom or greeted the news with confusion and apathy. You have my heartfelt thanks. I am abandoning the AOL boards in favor of this one, until I see how it all shakes out.
Second, since this is my new home in cyber winedom, I have to ask: who is paying for all of these new goodies? Will there be a system of micro-payments? Will we have pop-up banner ads? Isn't this the rock upon which the garbage scow S.S. Goldwyn foundered?
Inquiring minds and all that,

Jackie will probably answer for herself, but I can tell you one part of it is simply that wineboard is an additional attraction to people to visit the rest of http://www.wines.com, where there are a variety of commercial entities.

This IS Jackie's business and how she makes her living. I can tell you the Moderators are not being paid.

Banners and bulletin type commercial ads might be a possibility, but the intent is to keep the folders themselves as commercial free as was AOL...with the exception of the ADS & PROMOTIONS folders, and answers to specific questions...if someone wants to know where to find something and a retailer or private party can provide that info...that's kosher.

The Wine Board was not installed with a particular commercial idea in mind, I can tell you that. It was formed quickly as a result of my plea to Jackie regarding what we all thought was the eminent demise of AOL's FDN. Jackie found and installed the software in a matter of days (out of her own pocket)and adopted all the suggestions that Bob Wood and I made, throwing in some ideas of her own based on her extensive knowledge of websites and computers.

I have had a long association with Jackie, as my newsletter, Mead On Wine, and my magazine, The Wine Trader, are archived at her site. The arrangement was a service for me and my readers...a reason for people to log on for Jackie. Neither of us has really made any sizable profit off of it, though I do pick up some new subscribers and she, hopefully, gets a few extra hits.

Yours is a good question, and it's nice to know that someone recognizes that there is no free lunch.